Trees c. 1916

Charles Demuth made this drawing, Trees, with graphite on paper. At first glance, it's easy to see it as a sketch, a precursor to something more finished. But I think there’s a compelling stillness in this drawing that feels complete in itself. Look at the barest whisper of lines suggesting branches, almost evaporating into the background. There is an immediacy in Demuth’s hand, a sensitivity in the way he captures the skeletal structure of trees. There’s no shading, no attempt to create volume. Instead, we have a map of delicate marks that define the edges of things. This is not a picture of trees but more like a meditation on them, an attempt to distill them to their essence. What comes to my mind is the work of Agnes Martin, in her pursuit of minimalist expression and quiet contemplation through art. Like Martin, Demuth shows us that the most profound statements can be made with the fewest marks.